Christmas Joy and Baby Blessing

Can I just say how wonderful it is to be around family again?! The 3 weeks we spent in Utah sure flew by! I'm sure all the shopping, Christmas preparations and celebration, Owen's blessing, and Aubrey's wedding had something to do with it. We spent the first week getting errands done and nursing the kids back to health. They both came down with colds (poor little owen especially) right before we left. It made packing a real nightmare, but thanks to baby motrin the plane trip went just fine. And can I say, it is SNOWY and COLD in Utah! We entered a winter wonderland when we got out here. Thanks to my sister in law, I have some of our trip's photos on CD so I'm able to upload them and catch up a little!

First, Christmas. I just love how my mother in law decorates for Christmas! The house is so festive and the tree is always perfect! Thankfully, Eli didn't go overboard with ornament rearrangement. We were able to attend the Goodrich family Christmas party the Sunday before Christmas, which we've missed the last few years. It was great to see how much all the kids are growing up, and how the young families are growing! On Christmas Eve we went to Applebees for a nice family meal (thanks Dad B.!), my sister came out for a visit, and then we enjoyed some card games and watched Fred Clause late into the evening. We all slept in on Christmas, then enjoyed a fatty fantastic breakfast of croissant-egg-cheese sandwiches (thanks Mom B.!). Then the gifts! It was so fun watching Eli get into opening presents, though he is not yet greedy like the rest of us and gets heavily involved in playing with whatever his first toy is, and forgets about opening the rest. One thing I regret is forgetting to bring Eli's felt board nativity to go over with him - darn it! We'll have to do it when we get back home, even if it's a month late.


Eli got some matchbox cars that he has really enjoyed, as well as a digger, a baby remote control car, more animal figures, and some signing time videos. He has been watching signing time non-stop and has learned 20 or so new signs already - zoo and farm animals! He got some dinosaurs from Aunt Aubrey and likes those too... though his favorite toys are still his two whales! He takes them everywhere, and even sleeps with them. What a character. Owen got some stylin new clothes to get him through the winter.


It was fun to see Eli and his cousin Kenadee (14 months) finally warming up to each other. Eli's quotable quotes from the season are "big guy" which he calls everyone - his uncles and his grandparents - and "ow, guy!" everytime someone looks at him and he's feeling shy. Also, non-stop talk about the whales. And everything is "BIG". When Brad or I enter the room it's "oh the big mama" or "oh the big dada." We went bowling and the balls were "big mama whale balls!"

The Sunday after Christmas we had Owen's baby blessing in the Benson home. My parents were able to be there, as well as my sister. Also Grandma and Grandpa Goodrich, Aunt Nancy, and all of Brad's siblings except Kris (who was working). We had Grandpa Kramer and Grandpa Benson, Great Grandpa Goodrich, and Uncle Skyler in the circle, as well as two members of the Bishopric from the Benson's ward. We had a little program with a prayer, a message from Grandpa Benson about when the Savior visited the Nephites and blessed the children, and we sang I am a Child of God. We're just all about doing things at home with this baby =). It was a very sweet experience and Brad and I were both tearful! I always feel like my babies are "growing up" once they've had their blessing. I don't know why.

Thankful

It's never too late to be thankful! I realized that in the busy aftermath of having a baby, I forgot to write about Thanksgiving. Our initial plan was just to go out to eat somewhere. Just two weeks post partum I didn't quite feel like whipping up a Thanksgiving meal. Luckily we were invited to celebrate with some other families from the ward. There ended up being 8 adults and 5 kids in attendance so it was a lot of fun. Our two boys were both cranky and crying all morning, and both sacked out in the car on the way to dinner! We ended up letting Eli nap in the car for a while, and carried Owen inside in his carseat asleep, so we actually sat down to the meal kidless! After we stuffed ourselves and brought Eli in to watch a movie and play with the other kids, Brad and the guys played some chilly football out in the street. Eli got to watch Finding Nemo on the family's big screen TV - to him it was like being in the movie theater because he only gets to watch dvd's on his little tiny auto dvd player. It was a nice day, and I'm so glad we had good friends to share it with. Before we ate, we all went around the table and said a few things we were thankful for. The first thing that came to my mind was of course my family - my two beautiful boys and my recent amazing birth experience, and my wonderful hubby who is really my best friend and greatest support. I didn't list them all at dinner, but I'm also thankful for my parents who sacrificed greatly so my mom could be out here for Owen's birth, and for my sister whom I adore and miss, for our warm and welcoming ward and great friends out here, the unique niche we have found for ourselves and the experiences we've had out here, Brad's job, a warm and inviting home, this country of choice that we live in, and the light of the Gospel in our lives.

I'm also thankful that we are heading out West for the holidays! We will be in Utah on Monday and will be there through the new year. We'll be celebrating Christmas with the Bensons, and then my sister's wedding (yay Aubrey and Dale!)! We'll be in AZ with my parents after that until the end of January while Brad does a visiting rotation out there. So if my blogging drops off for a while, that's what we are up to. If you are going to be in Utah the week before Christmas and want to get together let us know (or in AZ after New Year's)!

Chunkalicious

That's Owen! At his one month check today he weighed in at 13 pounds 1 oz and is 23 1/2 inches long. So he's gained 3 pounds and an entire inch in TWO WEEKS. He is "off the charts" for percentiles. He fills out his 3-6 month clothes, so I am going to be packing only 6-9 month outfits when we leave on our trip next week. And I thought Eli was a big baby... Owen is on his way to outdoing him by far. Oh well, at least fat rolls are cute on babies. He can hold his head up like a pro, is giving us some heart-melting true smiles, and is starting to have longer awake periods during the day. Last night I think he slept for a four hour stretch too, but I practically nurse him in my sleep and rarely check the time. So far he is still sleeping tucked right next to me... apparently he feels that being swaddled and laid in the co-sleeper is a much inferior setup.

I've been trying some natural light photography with my new camera (Kodak Easy Share, oh baby!) and I'm not very good at it so far, but here are a few shots from Owen's one month photo shoot.

Happy Birthday Eli!

Dear Eli,

I can't believe you are already two! It seems like just yesterday that I held you for the first time ... these two years have really flown by. Your second year of life on earth has been full of adventure and change. This year you have learned to walk, run, climb, shoot a basket, talk, tantrum, drink from a sippy, eat solid food (but you haven't learned to like it yet), sleep in your own bed, sleep through the night (most of the time), kiss and hug, brush your teeth, color, pretend, play with other kids, the alphabet, how to work a dvd player, and countless other amazing things.

This year you faced the challenges with us of saying goodbye to our dogs Dotty and Daisy, our first home, our yard, our family and friends. You bravely put up with a sick pregnant mommy, packing up our house, and a 5 day cross-country drive to move from Surprise, AZ to Pittsfield, MA and took having a new home and room in stride. You've seen a lot of neat things along the way that you probably won't remember, but that I hope have somehow shaped your mind and heart. You surprised us all when you walked right in to nursery for the first time on your first Sunday here in Pittsfield - like you owned the place. You haven't always been comfortable staying in there since, but we are proud of the progress you are making in warming up to other people. It's definitely ok with us that Mom and Dad are your number one friends!

A month ago you became a big brother, and so far have shown potential to be a great one! Though giving up your role as the baby was not your choice, and has been pretty tough at times, you are very loving and sweet towards Owen and like to hold him and play with him. If I don't remember to give you enough love and attention of your own, you are quick to remind me with a tantrum, or a fake "ow!". You are tender-hearted and Dad and I treasure the shower of hugs, kisses, and attention you give us. We can tell that you are super intelligent, and we get a kick out of the "intelectual" activities that you enjoy - watching Planet Earth documentaries, playing with toy animals, testing out your peripheral vision, identifying letters in the alphabet, organizing things (our shoes, my wallet, the bathroom cabinet), reading books, and practicing your sign language- though you also enjoy some good old fashioned rough-housing and hide-and-seek! You still have to be cuddled to sleep most nights (though you let Daddy do it most of the time now), and I still let you nurse a little here and there because it has been so hard for you to give up - especially with a new baby around. I'm not always so patient with you lately, but I treasure the closeness we have shared the past two years, and am so proud of the little boy you are becoming. You bring so much joy to us and to all who know you. Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Love, Mom



Your Celebration

We celebrated your birthday all weekend and made some fun memories. On Saturday we took a train ride from Lenox to Lee and Santa Claus was there! He said hello to you and gave you and Owen a gift bag. You don't quite understand who he is yet, but you enjoyed the freezing train ride. Our good friends the Woodwards came with us, and we went for Pizza at Hot Tomatoes afterwards. Yesterday, your actual birthday, you and I and Owen stayed home from church. It snowed all day and was freezing outside! Owen slept most of the morning so you and I had a lot of one-on-one playtime. We played with your puppets, your alphabet puzzle, and your whales. We also read books and cuddled. You helped me make your cupcakes and sweep the floors. Then just before Dad got home, you fell asleep with Owen on my lap in the rocking chair. You took a 3 1/2 hour nap (because you woke up 3 times in the night)! Then you opened presents - more plastic animals, a fire truck, a shape sorter, the Planet Earth movies and a signing time movie. You also got a Mr. Potato head, 2 felt board kits, and a coloring book from Grandma K (she gave you the whales and birds early when she was here) and a fun book from Aunt Aubrey about a birthday box. The Woodwards and the missionaries (Elder Walkey and Falke) came over and you and Stewart played for a couple of hours. Grandpa Benson also flew in for a business trip and got to our house in time for cake and ice cream. Even though we practiced, you didn't want to blow out your candles or eat your cake. You stuck your finger in one candle and said "ow!" though. Before bed, you got gifts from Grandpa - 2 airplanes, a sweat suit, and some bathtub crayons. It was a super fun day and you went to bed tired!

Your Favorites at Two

Toys: Whales! And other plastic animals; stuffed birds that chirp; matchbox cars, trucks, planes.

Food: You are VERY picky. Right now you love bread with nothing on it, Lindt chocolate balls, and tortillas. Sometimes I can get you to eat cheese, bananas, apples, raisins, or cereal. We stopped buying goldfish crackers because you wanted to live on them.

TV: Super Why, Clifford, Sesame Street
DVDs: Signing Time, Planet Earth documentary (the one with whales and the ocean), Cars, Finding Nemo

Books: You LOVE books and your favorites change often. Anything with birds or trucks is a hit. Current favorites include The Little Engine that Could, Where is My Cat, Are You My Mother, The Eye Book, The Very Quiet Cricket, Tip Tip Dig Dig.

Play: Hide and Seek or chasing games with Dad, Me'am and OhOh (cat and dog puppets), Alphabet Puzzle, Dancing to "the cow song" on the Raffi CD, flying airplanes around and swimming with the whales, playdoh, rocking Owen vigorously in his carseat.

Places: Stewart's house, Whitney Farms petting zoo, our house, Lindt chocolate store at the mall

Best Friends: Mom and Dad, Stewart Woodward, Grandma Kramer

Most used Words: Big, There, Mama, DadaDaddy, Ow!, Nononononono!, yeah!, EAT!, way-o (whale), ah duh and ah gah (all done and all gone), bye bye

Songs: Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Whales in the Ocean (a song we made up to the tune of Wheels on the bus), Old MacDonald (you call it E-I).

Stats: 35 1/2 inches tall, 26 pounds, white blonde hair (people often call you tow-head), blue eyes, size 2T shirts and 18 months pants (you are tall and skinny) and size 7-8 shoes.

Thought I'd Share!

I've seen commercials for this website and just now checked it out... it's awesome! You enter any store or item and it will search for coupon codes for you that you can use for online shopping, or printable coupons to take in the store. I just got %15 off sweaters for the boys (that were already on sale) that I ordered from Children's Place. Woohoo! So go visit Coupon Cabin!

Babymoon

Well, we've passed week three and we're still surviving out here. I must say, my mom leaving and Brad going back to work was a rude awakening for me! If you can't tell from my lack of blogging the past few weeks, it has felt quite hectic at times. I won't lie ... there have been days that have been just plain hard physically and emotionally. The hardest part really has been dealing with my toddler. In sleep deprivation mode, I just lack sufficient patience to handle his outbursts, which have been pretty frequent because he is still in adjustment mode himself. So there's been plenty of crankiness (on my part and Eli's) interspersed with tears (mine and Eli's!) the last few weeks. Really, the kids must plot out their crying spells because they will either alternate in perfect synchrony so that I'm running between them both all day meeting immediate needs, or they are both bawling at the same time so I get the stereo effect. I'm not sure which is worse. Anyway, I try to be honest when people ask how things are going and just say "we are still adjusting" instead of the pre-programmed "great" or "fine" =). On Sunday I feared I was losing it completely! I was so grumpy it was all I could do not to snap at people at church, and I was feeling sick of both my kids. Then I was able to take a 2 1/2 hour nap while Brad took care of Owen (and Eli napped!), and I woke up with a refreshing change of attitude. It really is amazing what a little sleep can do, as well as the lack therof!

But before I start sounding too negative, I also have to admit that there have been plenty of great moments too. I am so pleased that Eli has not been aggressive at all towards the baby. Jealous, yes. He will often insist that Brad hold the baby so that he can have some mom time. It goes like this "Dada! Baby!" while pointing back and forth between them. Or he will state his inner desires simply with "Bye bye baby, ah gah (all gone) baby." This really cracks me up. After the first week of Eli's ambivalence though, he has discovered Owen as a source of entertainment, which is both good and bad. Good because I can see them developing a bond already, but bad because now I have to be on constant guard to ensure no mortal injury befalls my newborn because my toddler is "playing" with him. Eli likes to try and hold Owen, and laughs hysterically when Owen does the newborn flail because Eli thinks he's trying to play with him. This usually elicits rougher play from Eli so I have to watch out. This makes escaping for potty breaks tricky for me, lol.

Another fabulous blessing has been how we have lucked out with Brad's schedule. He has ended up being home a lot more than we anticipated, which has really helped my sanity, and helped Eli alot as well. Brad is still putting him to bed at night, but even after three weeks there are nights when Eli still just cries for me. Whether or not I can actually help him depends on if Owen is nursing or not. So yes, there's still a great deal of adjusting for all of us to do, but thankfully we've got Brad here as a full participant in the process.

In other news, Eli is learning how to use adjectives. His favorite right now is "BIG." It's so heartwarming to enter a room and have your toddler enthusiastically shout "BIIIIG Mama!" He also shrieks "BIIIIIG Dada" when Brad comes home, and sometimes just chatters about his big family: "BIIIIG mama, BIIIIG Dada, BIIIIIG Baby" while pointing to each of us... then he usually throws in a "BIIIIG Way-o (whale)" which granted, the whales are his favorite toys right now but it's not so flattering to be grouped in with them. Speaking of whales though, (no offense Owen) my baby is chunking up quite nicely. At two weeks he was already up to 10lbs 2oz (born at 9lbs) and now at just over 3 weeks his 0-3 month clothes are getting too small. He is going to be even bigger than Eli was, and he was quite the butterball! What can I say? Mommy's milk is nummy! =) Ok here is some photo proof of our happier moments.

Brotherly LOVE:

Watching "Blue Planet" documentary about the ocean - thankfully it sometimes puts him to sleep:

Just being cute:

Watching "Happy Feet" together:

"Talking" to the monkey:

The First Week

Well, we've survived our first week with two children! Somehow this week, Owen has managed to pee on the couch, on Eli, on our bed, on his HEAD, on his Dad, and poop on my lap. Even more baffling, Eli peed on the carpet yesterday and pooped on the kitchen floor - I have to blame those incidents on Brad who takes waaaay too long to change a diaper, lol. As for me, aside from the normal aches and pains of recovery, new milk coming in, lack of sleep, and emotional roller coasters, I'm doing well. My mom flies home tomorrow and Brad goes back to work, so I'm feeling a bit panicky about what's to come this week. Eli did really well the first couple of days as a big brother, but now that the novelty of a new baby has worn off, he's been having a bit of a hard time. He is getting better at letting Brad put him to sleep at night, but still fights nap time and often cries when I nurse the baby - it really breaks my heart. But there have been the sweet little moments as well when Eli tries to show Owen his whales and his birds (two favorite toys right now) and when he seems happy enough to cuddle up next to me even when I'm holding the baby.

As for Owen he's doing really well. It only took a week to spoil him too... we didn't get around to setting up the co-sleeper until two nights ago and he just won't have it. He KNOWS if there is not a warm body next to him... lol. We're working on that because I don't know that I want another 18 straight months of a baby tucked right into my side all night. Owen had some mild jaundice at first this week, but it's clearing up well. He's been a natural nurser though I did get some help from the lactation consultant (she came to my house too!) to perfect the "latch." He goes for much longer stretches than Eli did (3+ hours versus 1-2 with Eli) in between feedings. But again, somehow every night he has ended up being awake for a several hour stretch either with gas, or just being up, which wouldn't be too bad if Eli was sleeping normally but he's been waking up around 5am crying every morning. Grrr... so hopefully we can get ourselves into a better routine soon. Overall though, Owen seems like a pretty good natured little guy - we sure like having him around (and hope Eli will too eventually) =). Oh, and his cord fell off today... waaaah! My baby is growing up already!

The Big Arrival!

Well, Owen Tage* Benson graced us with his arrival at 12:20 am today! Owen weighed in at 9lbs even and 22 inches long. We were shocked he weighed that much because he looks so small! He's got dark hair and deep blue eyes. As for place of arrival - he was born at home in our bedroom... and yes, it was on purpose!

We didn't really tell anyone we were planning a home birth because we planned it at the last minute. It's something we had considered and researched beforehand, but weren't committed to until about two weeks before my "due date" (thankfully that date was wrong!), when I had the overwhelming desire to just birth this baby at home! Everything fell together in the nick of time - I ordered my birth supply kit on my "due date" and had it overnighted, and got everything else set and ready to go that week. I have strong feelings about how I think birth should be treated (at least for me) and with every weekly visit to my midwives at the hospital, I was less and less excited about being in the hospital environment again for a birth, even though I had a birth plan and a fantastic Doula lined up. We prayed a lot about the decision as it's obviously a big change to make so close to the end, and in spite of our initial doubts we eventually felt peaceful about moving in that direction for this birth. We found two wonderful midwives to take care of us, and let me tell you it is a completely different kind of care than you get from a traditional obstetrics practice - I even had prenatal visits in my own home as well as one of my midwives'.

As for labor this time (if you don't count all the warm ups and false hopes during the week leading up to it!) it was 8 hours total, and about 5 1/2 of "active" or the tough stuff! Much improved from my 28 hour marathon labor with Eli. I only had to push for ten minutes to get him out, but it was intense I will say! To sum up the entire labor and birth experience, it was INTENSE, EMPOWERING, SACRED, PEACEFUL, JOYFUL and AMAZING. It was an incredibly bonding experience for Brad and I because it really felt like it was just the two of us getting through it together. Brad was right there by my side, in my face supporting me and talking me through every tough contraction whether that meant rubbing my back, holding the heating pad, or just letting me yank on his neck and yell in his ear.

I'd had some strong contractions throughout the day and was really hoping this would be it. Brad gave me some Osteopathic cranial treatment (gentle manipulation of the fascia in the head) the night before, and I tried to encourage things by going up and down the stairs ten times in a row, dancing around the living room with Eli, and going grocery shopping! The contractions suddenly got uncomfortable and regular about 4:30 pm - just after I ate dinner, just as Brad was getting home, and just before the midwives arrived for my scheduled visit! They listened to the baby, got a final tour of the house, and went home to get their things ready. By 7pm I had my Enya music playing, my Gold Canyon cinnamon-vanilla candle burning, and I was in the shower and begging Brad to get upstairs and help me! He was with me non-stop from then on. I labored in the shower, the tub, on my exercise ball, leaning over the bed, and sitting on the toilet (never once in bed!). Lol We called the midwives when contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart... I was afraid we were calling too early because I couldn't believe things would be moving that fast, but I also recognized the feelings from that point in labor from when I had Eli and trusted that I HAD to be getting close (or else I was going to want to give up!).

The midwives arrived about an hour before Owen was born and went about quietly, respectfully, and lovingly supporting us, never once interrupting our rhythm. In fact, I never even got "checked" (for dilation) - how great is that! I once asked them to check because I HAD to know if I was getting close, but just then my water broke (thankfully in the bathroom!) and I started pushing with the next contraction... so we headed back into the bedroom and ten minutes later we had a baby! I delivered Owen in a kneeling squat in our bedroom, with Brad and the midwives there to catch him, and hand him up to me immediately. He was a little "floppy" right at first but I got to hold his little warm and wet body while the midwives got him going - something I didn't get with Eli and had so looked forward to! He let out a few good cries and pinked up well in the next few minutes. I just felt so rewarded to have him in my arms after all that hard work! My mom was also able to witness his arrival, and Eli (thankfully!) slept through the entire thing! I still can't believe my mom was able to get him sleep with me hollering in the next room, especially since he won't go to sleep for anyone but me! That was truly another answer to prayer. Oh and one funny/odd fact - our bed sheets got stained, not from the birth but from a darn bloody nose! Yesterday Eli hit me in the nose with a tennis ball (we were playing catch) and I ended up with a gusher and a bruise. Well, it reopened when I was leaning over the bed in heavy labor and I had a darn bloody nose to deal with all through the toughest part of labor and up until pushing! That makes it hard to do any relaxed breathing I tell you what!

The midwives were so awesome at the birth - it was like having another mother and sister there with us and not just a birth "professional." They were so caring and nurturing through the whole process... they cleaned up everything - including spots on the carpet, did laundry, cooked us breakfast, cleaned the bathroom, and stitched me up! Has an OB ever done all that for you? Lol. I used to think that homebirth was "weird" and that only "hippies" did it. But I can tell you that for us, it just felt so natural, peaceful and beautiful just to have Owen arrive in our home and cuddle right up with him in our own space with no unnecessary intrusions. The midwives will come here for several post partum visits, and Owen's pediatrician even made a home visit today to check him over - isn't that great! They will send someone from the office to our home also to do the pku (bloodwork) testing. What more could you ask?!

This morning we were all still up and the midwives were just leaving at 5am when Eli woke up crying. Brad brought him to our bed so he could nurse back to sleep and he never even noticed Owen right there in bed with us! It was so precious to spend our night together all snuggled up in our OWN bed as a family (recovery is so much nicer in your own home too!). We got a few hours of sleep and introduced the boys to each other later in the morning. So far, Eli seems just fine with having a little brother. He calls him "baby" of course and likes to look at him, give him kisses, and try to show him things, but so far isn't overly interested or jealous, which is a good thing! One funny thing he tried was pretending to nurse with his face right up next to Owen's as he nursed... I didn't post that picture but it's cute, lol! So overall, we are doing well albeit somewhat tired, and we feel so blessed to have this little angel join our ranks. Newborns are just so pure and precious, and Owen has left me feeling like I don't quite know what we did to deserve him!

*Tage is pronounced "Tah-guh" - it's Swedish after my great-grandfather.

Baby Game Winners :

Heidi Benson for date - 11/8
Bridget for size - 9.0 lbs
Dad Benson for length - 22"
Shianne for time - 12:38am was the closest to 12:20

Going Into Hiding

I think I've reached *that point* where I can no longer go out in public. Yep, I'm still pregnant. Yep, I waddle. Yep, I look pretty big. And yesterday at Wal-Mart (one more reason to hate that store), everyone had to point it out! I really haven't been bothered by comments until now, but for some reason it was all I could do yesterday not to glare and mumble profanities after the 6th person said something like "wow you look like you were due a few days ago" or "wow that looks like an 8 or 9 pound baby" or "wow you could go at any second!." Really people, it's annoying and I dare say, bad manners to say such things to a pregnant woman you DON'T EVEN KNOW. It probably didn't help that my sweater was a bit too small and my belly was dangling out the bottom (albeit covered by a stretchy tank top at least) but still... anyway just thought I'd check in. We are getting anxious because everything is all set and ready. I haven't really felt *ready* up until now - just another cue that the arbitrary 10/30 due date was totally wrong. I'm not really *late* until after Sunday but I don't know if I'll have the energy to go that long, lol! I NEED to have everything set perfectly (all laundry done, kitchen cleaned, fridge stocked etc) in order to relax in labor, so I've been cleaning and doing laundry on a daily basis to make sure everything stays perfect. You know, if I am still pregnant on Sunday I don't know if I could even force myself to go to church...it would be the 3rd Sunday in a row of shocked looks at why I am still here and pregnant... really everyone there is much nicer about it than Wal-Mart shoppers, but still....

In other news, Brad bought a fabulous 20 year old Toyota Corolla this week so he won't have to ride his bike to work in the snow. He has been so good about letting me have the car with no complaints, even through all the summer rain and the recent cold spells we've had. I'll have to post pics of the beaut! We left one of our cars in AZ because it was too expensive to ship and ended up just selling it. We don't want to be stuck with something when we move again this summer, so we got the beater for cheap and hope to be able to unload it again quickly when the time comes.

Let's Play!

Anyone want to play the baby game? I thought it might be fun to see if anyone can predict the day/time of this baby's birth and his weight/length! If you want to "weigh in" just leave a comment with your guesses. If I'm ambitious, I'll send a prize to the winner. Here's some helpful info:

The Dr's due date based on lmp was 10/30 (we're past that).
Ultrasound due date is 11/6, date of conception calculator says 11/9.
I've gained 30 pounds (vs. 50 with Eli!)
Eli was 9lb 7oz and 22 inches long ... I went into labor with him on my due date (the one Brad and I calculated) and had him the next day at 8:21am. Labor was 28 hours long.
At my last check, I was 1cm dilated. With Eli I didn't dilate until the day of labor.

So post your guess for date and time of birth, and weight and length!